Italian food is one of the most popular cuisines throughout the world, and with so many flavors and textures, it’s easy to see why. While many people picture pasta and cutlets when they think of Italian food, the country is also known for its wide range of delicious appetizers.
Whether you’re hosting or bringing a dish to someone else’s party, consider one of these best Italian appetizer recipes for your next gathering.
1. Tuscan Fried Artichokes Recipe (Most Addicting Appetizer)
This simple dish takes about a half hour, and makes for a great, slightly bitter Italian appetizer that can become quite addicting. These fried artichokes are tasty on their own, but taste even better with a creamy dip with yogurt and herbs or garlic aioli.
Get the full recipe and directions here.
2. Antipasto Appetizer Bites Recipe (Crowd Pleasing Finger Food)
Who doesn’t love a simple bite of meat, cheese, and olive? Salami, mozzarella, and black olives are used in this recipe, making for an easy but satisfying Italian appetizer that will please any crowd.
You don’t have to stick with those ingredients; you could try a prosciutto, gorgonzola, and pickle appetizer bite or whatever you happen to have on hand.
Get the full recipe and directions here.
3. Neapolitan Arancini Recipe (Classic Italian Recipe)
Arancini are fried balls of arborio rice filled with cheese and other ingredients. This particular recipe calls for a simple concoction of Pecorino Romano and nutmeg, but you could add ground beef or ham if you want to make them more savory.
The key to keeping these Italian appetizers crispy is by drying them on paper towels and placing them on a wire rack to cool.
Get the full recipe and directions here.
4. Pesto Focaccina Recipe (Most Decadent Italian Appetizer)
Almost like a lighter version of a Sicilian pizza, this focaccina makes for a great Italian appetizer. It has a perfect balance of flavors with the nutty pesto, sweet cherry tomatoes, and melty mozzarella cheese.
Fresh rosemary and spicy red pepper flakes bring the whole thing together for a wonderful bite that is bound to get devoured in seconds. You could also use burrata if you want to take this recipe up a notch.
Get the full recipe and directions here.
5. Classic Bruschetta (Simple Yet Irresistible Recipe)
Bruschetta is one of the most popular Italian appetizers, and we’re always eager to try this perfectly balanced dish. Soft, sweet tomatoes contrast with a rich, crispy crostini for a textural and flavor contrast that is hard to resist.
It’s best to keep it simple to let the flavors shine through in every bite, but a little drizzle of balsamic glaze helps tie everything together.
Get the full recipe and directions from Natasha’s Kitchen.
6. Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes with Burrata (Elevated Italian Appetizer)
Tomatoes and mozzarella have long been a match made in heaven, and that match is even more perfect when you upgrade your mozzarella to creamy burrata cheese. This Italian appetizer is reminiscent of a caprese salad but with more oomph and richness.
You can use any tomatoes, but the sweetness of cherry tomatoes, as well as their year-round availability, make them the easy, most consistent choice. This is an easy dish to make, and you’ll be hard-pressed to have any leftovers.
Get the full recipe and directions from Half Baked Harvest.
7. Fried Calamari (Restaurant Quality Italian Appetizer)
You may think of fried calamari as something best reserved for restaurants, but it’s actually not too difficult to make thanks to this recipe. The most important thing is allowing your calamari rings to rest in milk for about a half hour to tenderize them and get rid of some of that fishy “funk.”
Overall, this Italian appetizer is a pretty similar process to any breaded, deep-fried food. We suggest keeping your breading light to let the squid stand out more.
Get the full recipe and directions from The Mediterranean Dish.
8. Chopped Caprese Salad (Quintessential Italian Appetizer)
This rendition of caprese allows you to take the classic Italian appetizer and turn it into a more easily edible salad. By chopping it up, guests can take an entire bowl of the salad rather than just a small bite. The chopping doesn’t add much more time but makes for a fun, unique way to enjoy this dish.
Get the full recipe and directions from Trial and Eater.
9. Pan Fried Eggplant with Ricotta (Most Unique Italian Appetizer Recipe)
Last but not least, this delectable Italian appetizer recipe uses honey and red pepper to round out the richness of crispy eggplants paired with creamy ricotta. Use Japanese eggplants if you can because they are smaller and have a mild flavor.
Get the full recipe and directions from New York Times Cooking.
No matter what the event or theme, we are sure that these Italian appetizer dishes will be the star of the show at your next dinner party. Be sure to tell us about your favorite Italian appetizer in the comments!
If you like this post, we think you’ll really like our Italian Charcuterie and Cheese Board Ideas post.
